Before Christmas a friend invited me to her house for a cookie baking party. She and her two small assistants were making a variety of Christmas goodies which sounded like the perfect way to revel in the holiday spirit. When I arrived with my bag of butter and sugar and such, I found them poring over a magazine of cookie recipes. We had a tough time choosing which cookies to make first, but eventually we settled on a few types.Layered minty chocolate came first, followed by simple rolled sugar cookies, and the third one we decided to try was a type of shortbread. Now I have always been a fan of shortbread. It's just so delicate and subtle. There is even a charming Scottish saying about how every woman's fingers add a different flavor as she kneads in the butter (no! not because she forgot to wash!).
The only unusual thing about this recipe was the addition of two extra ingredients. Crystallized ginger and two heaping tablespoons of dried lavender are what makes this one unique. Tasting the end result was quite a treat. In my opinion the ginger is not really needed, but the lavender is truly a lovely flavor with the tender shortbread. Here is my favorite shortbread recipe with the lavender added in:
Lavender Shortbread
1 and 1/4 cups cold unsalted butter (or this actually does work with a good margarine too)
1/4 cup powdered sugar (lightly spooned)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (more if you like it sweeter, but I don't recommend it)
2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 TBS dried lavender (make sure it's food quality)
This is dead simple to make. Use a fork, a pastry cutter (this is the best method), or a food processor (if you're feeling sacrilegious) to blend the butter and sugar until pea-sized crumbs are formed. Add flour and lavender and continue to blend. The mixture will be crumbly. Press together with fingers until a ball of dough is formed. Roll out dough into a disc, and cut the disc into pie slice shapes. Dock the round of dough with a fork to prevent bubbles. Bake at 275 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour until golden brown. Do not give in to the temptation to bake at a higher temperature. Cool on a wire rack. Store in a tightly sealed container to preserve texture.
Lavender Shortbread
1 and 1/4 cups cold unsalted butter (or this actually does work with a good margarine too)
1/4 cup powdered sugar (lightly spooned)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (more if you like it sweeter, but I don't recommend it)
2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 TBS dried lavender (make sure it's food quality)
This is dead simple to make. Use a fork, a pastry cutter (this is the best method), or a food processor (if you're feeling sacrilegious) to blend the butter and sugar until pea-sized crumbs are formed. Add flour and lavender and continue to blend. The mixture will be crumbly. Press together with fingers until a ball of dough is formed. Roll out dough into a disc, and cut the disc into pie slice shapes. Dock the round of dough with a fork to prevent bubbles. Bake at 275 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour until golden brown. Do not give in to the temptation to bake at a higher temperature. Cool on a wire rack. Store in a tightly sealed container to preserve texture.
2 comments:
I can attest to the deliciousness of this recipe! (As can my waistline)
Just as easy as they claim. Tender and delicately delicious. Follow directions and you won't be disappointed!
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